The "Middle East and Terrorism" Blog was created in order to supply information about the implication of Arab countries and Iran in terrorism all over the world. Most of the articles in the blog are the result of objective scientific research or articles written by senior journalists.
From the Ethics of the Fathers: "He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it."
“If it turns out that he is among those blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence”
US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff during an interview in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaEVELYN HOCKSTEIN / POOL / AFP
Amid growing disagreements
with the Trump administration over the composition of the Board of Peace
for Gaza and the question of a strike on Iran, officials in Israel
point to a key figure behind decisions seen as running counter to
Israeli interests: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The
officials mention sustained dissatisfaction with Witkoff. Sources close
to the PM Netanyahu, who are not part of his office, told i24NEWS on
Saturday evening: “For several months now, the feeling has been that
envoy Steve Witkoff has strong ties, for his own reasons, across the
Middle East, and that at times the Israeli interest does not truly
prevail in his decision-making.”
This
criticism relates both to the proposed inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in
Gaza’s governing bodies and to the Iranian threat. A senior Israeli
official put it bluntly: “If it turns out that he is among those
blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence.”
Washington previously paused all current U.S. assistance programs that directly benefited the Somali federal government.
The U.S. State Department has announced a decision to cut off
government-to-government assistance to Somalia following a dispute over
the fate of American-donated food supplies, according to diplomatic
communications cited in a news report.
Earlier this month, Somali authorities at the Mogadishu port
demolished a key World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse—a facility built
with international support to store emergency food aid. U.S. officials
say the action, ordered by Somalia’s president and carried out without
notifying donor nations, likely destroyed roughly 76 metric tons of U.S.
food aid meant for vulnerable people. Additional shipments totaling
over 1,600 metric tons were also affected and had to be relocated.
In response, Washington paused all current U.S. assistance programs that directly benefited the Somali federal government.
The State Department has tied the reopening of aid commitments to
Somalia’s acceptance of responsibility and compensation for the missing
food supplies.
The State Department said Jan. 7 that it had suspended all U.S.
assistance programs that support Somalia’s federal government, warning
that funding would not resume unless Somali officials accept
responsibility for what Washington called unacceptable conduct. An
administration official, who spoke on background with The Daily Wire, said the pause is expected to become permanent, with all remaining aid formally terminated by May.
A disruption to global oil supplies could cause prices to rise at a time when President Donald Trump has turned his focus to affordability on the home front.
The Gulf Arab states
warned the Trump administration that a strike on Iran in retaliation for
the crackdown on protests could spark a regional conflict and disrupt
oil supplies, putting U.S. bases in danger or creating economic troubles
for the United States, Just the News has learned.
A disruption to global oil supplies could cause prices to
rise at a time when President Donald Trump has turned his focus to
affordability on the home front ahead of the midterm elections later
this year.
Amid sustained protests that rocked many major cities over
the last two weeks, Iranian authorities resorted to violent crackdowns
on protesters to maintain control. President Donald Trump vowed to intervene
if the regime doesn’t stop the killing of protesters. To that end, on
Monday, he canceled any further meetings with Iranian officials unless
the killings stopped.
In subsequent days, there were signs that the U.S. was
preparing military action against Iran. However, by Wednesday, President
Trump said he was told that the killings of protesters had in fact
stopped, and the regime had no current plans to execute any prisoners.
Estimates of the death toll stemming from the recent protests vary
widely, but human rights groups say that anywhere from 2,500 to 3,400 people have been killed by security forces of the Islamic theocracy.
Internet access still blocked, information is scarce
Though the president has ordered additional military assets
to the region, it remains unclear whether the administration will
follow through with action against Iran. Since Tehran is still blocking
internet access, it is also difficult to determine whether protests
there are still ongoing.
Israel, which has also urged the U.S. to refrain from
attacking Iran, reportedly assessed that the rate of killing of
protesters has declined since the beginning of the regime crackdown.
The existence of the discussions between the United States
and senior officials of the Gulf Arab states was reported earlier this
week, first by The New York Times and TheWall Street Journal.
A source who was briefed on the talks between the Arab states and President Donald Trump told Just the News
that these warnings against strikes were not delivered out of any
particular support for Iran, but rather geared towards conveying the
dangers of an “intractable conflict” in the Middle East that would have
impacts, both on security and the economy.
Specifically, the Gulf monarchies shared concerns with the
Trump administration that a strike on Iran during a time of significant
domestic unrest could spark a wider retaliation by the Islamic Republic
that could endanger U.S. troops and close off the Strait of Hormuz, the
narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean through
which about 20% of the world’s oil supplies traverse.
Escalation could mean a rise in world's oil prices
Iran’s ability to threaten the narrow waterway, potentially
choking off completely seaborne commerce through the strait, has for
years been a concern amid tensions between Iran and its neighbors as
well as the United States.
In a scenario of significant escalation, analysts say that
global oil prices could rise by double digits. “The fear of a closure
will cause the price of oil to rise a few dollars per barrel, but it is
the complete closure of the Strait that can result in a $10 to $20 per
barrel spike,” Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, told CNBC this week.
This effect, however, would be reduced if the disruption to
trade is only temporary, or if the presence of U.S. naval assets would
prevent Iran from fully closing off the strait.
Yet, a potential shock to oil markets is likely to remain a
potent concern for the Trump administration, which has recently focused
on pivoting to an affordability message ahead of the 2026 midterm
elections.
A large part of that effort involves keeping gas prices down. Over the holidays, the president touted decreased gas prices, which had fallen to between $2 and $3 per gallon. Earlier this week, the White House posted a video to TikTok celebrating lower gas prices across America set to Daddy Yankee’s 2004 Latin dance hit “Gasolina.”
Beyond the threat of an oil supply shock, the Arab states
raised concerns that a U.S. strike while the Iranian regime is
vulnerable risks a wider regional conflict that could suck in unwilling
neighbors, especially if Iran decides to retaliate by attacking U.S.
bases.
Israel urges caution
Many of Iran’s Gulf neighbors, including Qatar, the United
Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, host U.S. forces. For example, Qatar
is home to the sprawling Al Udeid Air Base
that hosts the forward operating base of the U.S. Central Command. In
June, following President Trump’s strikes on the Iranian nuclear
program, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Al Udeid, where about 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed. There were no casualties from the incident.
At this time, however, the U.S. currently does not have an aircraft carrier
and strike group present in the region after many naval assets were
diverted to the Caribbean earlier this year for the operation targeting
Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro. Carriers bring fighter-bombers and
their destroyer escorts boast the Aegis combat systems, both useful for
intercepting enemy missiles.
Without those resources, the military may be hard-pressed
to protect its bases in the region in the event of an attack by Iran
following any U.S. strikes, even with the help of its Arab partners.
Earlier this week, President Trump ordered the Nimitz-class
aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and its destroyers to deploy to
the Middle East from the South China Sea, but the journey will take about one week.
It is not just the Arab Gulf states that have urged the
president to consider caution. Israel, a close ally who fought a brief
12-day war with Iran earlier this year, also reportedly asked President
Trump to refrain from ordering an attack, the New York Times reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked President Trump to wait for any strikes to give Israel time to prepare its defenses.
The source, who declined to be named, was briefed on discussions between the Gulf Arab states and Trump told Just the News
that Israel shared similar concerns about being dragged into a regional
conflict if Iran were to retaliate against U.S. strikes.
At least 800 executions of protesters purportedly canceled
Following Israel’s strikes on Iranian missile sites and air
defenses this June, Iran retaliated with a barrage of hundreds of
missiles and drones. Some of those penetrated Israel’s air defenses and struck military bases and civilian targets.
On Friday, President Trump appeared to back off his threat to strike Iran
by thanking the regime for canceling “over 800” hangings of those
arrested for protesting. However, a day earlier, U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations Mike Walz said that “all options” remain “on the table”
if Iran continues to kill protesters.
Earlier this week, Just the News reported that the Trump administration has several options to punish Iran
short of direct military action. These could include offensive cyber
operations, working to enable internet communications in the country,
and seizing sanctioned oil tankers to put the squeeze on the regime's already-troubled finances.
The moves, reported since late Friday, came as US officials and regional militaries coordinated on contingency planning for possible Iranian retaliation.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet,
assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, prepares to make an
arrested landing on the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft
carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean August 10, 2024(photo credit: US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Daniel Kimmelman/Handout via REUTERS)
Iran
tensions escalated on Sunday, with foreign reports over the past two
days citing US carrier movements, bomber activity at Diego Garcia, and
reinforced air defenses across the Gulf, according to multiple regional
and American media accounts.
The
moves, reported since late Friday, came as US officials and regional
militaries coordinated on contingency planning for possible Iranian
retaliation. No official US confirmation was available on the reported
deployment of guided-missile submarines.
US President Donald Trump
stated repeatedly over the past week that Iran had halted executions of
citizens and postponed the hanging of hundreds of protesters. This was
read by some as a temporary pause in a plan to strike the extremist
regime in Tehran. However, in the last two days, foreign outlets
reported intensified, covert preparations for a large-scale operation.
American
media, including Gulf-based outlets, reported that the United States
confirmed the USS Abraham Lincoln had sailed from the South China Sea
toward the Middle East, a clear statement of intent. The carrier is
accompanied by destroyers and missile ships equipped with hundreds of
launchers capable of striking targets across Iran
with unprecedented force. Despite the reports, no official US
confirmation of the arrival of guided-missile submarines in the area was
found.
Additional
reports said bombers landed at the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia.
The base has unusually long runways that enable heavy strategic bombers,
such as B-2-class aircraft, to launch long-range strike sorties across
the Middle East, with emphasis on hardened and underground targets and
regime command centers.
IAF 'Adir' F-35 fighter jets seen escorting US B-52 bombers on November 10, 2022 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Open-source
tracking of regional air traffic indicated that, in the past two days
alone, more than a dozen US heavy military transport aircraft flew
toward the Gulf. According to assessments, they carried substantial
logistics, rescue components, and munitions systems.
Meanwhile, reports grew that nonessential British and American personnel were evacuated from the Al Udeid base in Qatar
in support of a potential Iran operation. In parallel, the US military
reinforced Patriot and THAAD batteries across Gulf states as part of
preparations for an Iranian response.
Regional coordination and electronic warfare indicators
Washington
tightened and augmented joint command centers with regional partners,
including Israel. At this stage, the activity is assessed as situational
updates and contingency planning to blunt potential Iranian
retaliation.
On
social media, reports noted GPS disruptions over Iranian airspace and
the apparent use of electronic warfare intended to test systems that
degrade Iranian radars and other sensors.
Trump’s escalated rhetoric and calls for regime change
In
parallel with reported military movements, Trump intensified public
pressure on Tehran. In recent days, he urged “new leadership in Iran”
and described Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as “a sick man” who “should
stop killing people,” while saying all options remain on the table. He
has also warned of “grave consequences” if the crackdown continues and
has portrayed the reported pause in executions as the result of mounting
international pressure.
"We did not tell Netanyahu in advance about the composition of the executive committee. Gaza is now our show, not his show," officials told N12.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
looks on next to US President Donald Trump as Trump leaves Israel en
route to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, at Ben Gurion International Airport in
Lod, Israel, October 13, 2025.(photo credit: REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN)
Israel was not notified in advance about the presence of Qatari and Turkish officials among the Gaza Board of Peace (BoP) announced by US President Donald Trump, US officials told N12 on Saturday.
"We
did not tell Netanyahu in advance about the composition of the
executive committee. He did not expect there to be representatives from
Turkey and Qatar, but Gaza is now our show, not his show," the officials
told N12.
"If he [Netanyahu] wants the Trump administration to deal with Gaza - we will do it our way," they added.
In
a separate statement, the technocratic administration expected to take
over Gaza said that it "embrace[s] peace, through which we strive to
secure the path to real Palestinian rights and self-determination."
US
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm
Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to take
the matter up with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Prime
Minister's Office stated following the announcement.
'A diplomatic failure for Israel': Politicians slam BoP announcement
Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum slammed the announcement of the BoP members in various statements on Saturday.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) called the announcement on the Gaza Board of Peace a "diplomatic failure for Israel."
Lapid
claimed that, for the last year, he has been warning the government
that "if you don’t advance the Egyptian solution with the US and the
world, you’ll end up with Turkey and Qatar in Gaza.”
"Last
night the composition of the 'Board of Peace' was published – Turkey is
in, Qatar is in, and according to the IDF, Hamas still has 30,000 armed
men in Gaza," he posted in X/Twitter.
"This
is a complete diplomatic failure of the Netanyahu government after the
endless heroism and sacrifice of the soldiers and commanders of the
IDF," he added.
Reports from doctors on the ground stated that at least 16,500 protesters have died and 330,000 have been injured, according to testimony within Iran shared with the 'Sunday Times.'
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026. (photo credit: MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
An Iranian
official in the region said on Sunday the authorities had verified at
least 5,000 people had been killed in protests in Iran, including about
500 security personnel, blaming "terrorists and armed rioters" for
killing "innocent Iranians."
The
official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue,
also told Reuters some of the heaviest clashes and the highest number
of deaths were in the Iranian Kurdish areas in northwest Iran, a region
where Kurdish separatists have been active and where flare-ups have been
among the most violent in past periods of unrest.
"The
final toll is not expected to increase sharply," the official said,
adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and equipped
those taking to the streets.
People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (credit: Anonymous/Getty Images)
The
Iranians authorities regularly blame unrest on foreign enemies,
including Israel, an arch foe of the Islamic Republic, which launched
military strikes on Iran in June.
The
US-based HRANA rights group said on Saturday the death toll had reached
3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review. The group said it had
confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
The Iranian
Kurdish rights group Hengaw, based in Norway, has said some of the
heaviest clashes during the protests that erupted in late December were
in Kurdish areas in the northwest.
Unverified reports within Iran state some 16,500 protesters killed
Reports from doctors
on the ground stated that at least 16,500 protesters have died and
330,000 have been injured, most of them during the beginning of the
regime’s digital blackout on January 8 and 9, the Sunday Times reported.
The
majority of the victims are believed to be under the age of 50, with
posts shared within Iran mourning the deaths of a young fashion
designer, three young footballers, a champion basketball player, a movie
director, and more.
The doctors have been able to release their reports and share testimony with the Sunday Times using smuggled Starlink terminals.
“This
is a whole new level of brutality,” said Professor Amir Parasta, an
Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, who
treated protesters injured in the Women, Life, Freedom protests in 2022.
“[In
2022] they were using rubber bullets and pellet guns, taking out eyes.
This time they are using military-grade weapons, and what we are seeing
are gunshot and shrapnel wounds in the head, neck, and chest.”
With Trump, we have seen the end, at least for the time being, of the era of grandiloquence in favor of simple, right-to-the-point quips that remind one of Gary Cooper in his Westerns. "We're locked and loaded!" is one example.
The most remarkable feature
of the year in question is Trump's success, perhaps unintentionally, in
desacralizing power by opening it to the agora with TV cameras that
delineate its contours.
The 9-to-5 political day is gone.
With Trump, we have seen the end, at least for the time being, of
the era of grandiloquence in favor of simple, right-to-the-point quips
that remind one of Gary Cooper in his Westerns. "We're locked and
loaded!" is one example.
He has shaken the United Nations by withdrawing from dozens of
"international" agencies acting as gravy trains for the "progressive"
elite of tax-exempt bureaucrats and technocrats, all card-carrying
members of the Blame-America-First fraternity.
Also shaken out of its slumber has been the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, which had morphed into a lobbying and public relations
outfit rather than a military machine to fight putative aggressors.
Trump has persuaded NATO members that unless they are ready to at least
wash their dishes, the American "room service" might not rush in the
dinner trolley.
Pictured: President Donald Trump is sworn into office by
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump holds the
Bible in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool/Getty Images)
This week marks the first anniversary of Donald J. Trump's return to the White House, and you may or may not want to celebrate.
What you can't do is deny that it has been an exciting year.
The first thing worth noting is that the year in question was
different from the first year in Trump's first presidential term, which
might be recorded as a case of organized chaos.
In that year, the focus was on how and when Trump would stop his
"you're hired, you're fired" show, which had been transferred from TV
studios to the White House.
This term, with a minor hitch caused by finding the proper slot for
Mike Waltz, the presidential team was quickly mobilized to hit the road
from day one. Early speculations about who could be the first to be
kicked out faded within days.
More importantly, this time round, all team members understood from
day one who is the boss. We had no Rex Tillerson musing about his own
foreign policy or John Bolton convinced that he would have been a better
president.
The most remarkable feature of the year in question is Trump's
success, perhaps unintentionally, in desacralizing power by opening it
to the agora with TV cameras that delineate its contours.
We see the president snapping back answers to reporters in a doorway
or on his way to board a plane or a limousine. We see him signing
treaties, negotiating with foreign leaders, and even quarreling with
them on live TV, flanked by a good part of his team acting as chorus.
The low profile imposed on liveries, guards and bureaucrats running
hither and thither carrying files and "presidential movements' managers"
choreographing the show reminds one of Ulrich, the anti-hero of Robert
Musil's 1,700-page novel, when he visited Emperor Franz-Josef's palace
in Vienna to find out that if one ignores the paraphernalia of power
does one develop more empathy for it.
The next notable feature of the year has been Trump's success, again
perhaps unintentionally, to make politics a 24 hour, 7-day business.
Whether you are in Timbuktu or Tokyo, Toronto or Tehran, a midnight
tweet by Trump could shake you out of your slumber.
The 9-to-5 political day is gone.
Having redefined, not to say annihilated, time and place, Trump has
also shaken old cobweb-ridden political institutions. Senators and
Congressmen now know that with Trump likely to pull a new rabbit out of a
hat at any moment, they can no longer spend much time seat-warming
punctuated by occasional apple-pie and motherhood one-liners.
Under Trump, the Republican Party has been reshaped as a
hail-the-chief choir, while the Democrat Party is being recast as
Chesterton's club of queer trades.
With Trump, we have seen the end, at least for the time being, of the
era of grandiloquence in favor of simple, right-to-the-point quips that
remind one of Gary Cooper in his Westerns. "We're locked and loaded!"
is one example.
Shaking the decadent world order, Trump has also taught everyone that
because everything is possible, anything might happen at any time.
He has shaken the United Nations by withdrawing from dozens of
"international" agencies acting as gravy trains for the "progressive"
elite of tax-exempt bureaucrats and technocrats, all card-carrying
members of the Blame-America-First fraternity.
Also shaken out of its slumber has been the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, which had morphed into a lobbying and public relations
outfit rather than a military machine to fight putative aggressors.
Trump has persuaded NATO members that unless they are ready to at least
wash their dishes, the American "room service" might not rush in the
dinner trolley.
Trump's in-your-face approach hasn't spared the American military
either. He has asked what the use is of spending almost a trillion
dollars on a device if it is never used.
A big stick hidden behind one's back is as useless as softly speaking
to loudmouth foes. The latest operations against drug traffickers in
the Western Hemisphere, most dramatically in Venezuela, may mark a
restart moment.
More importantly, perhaps, Trump has led a new round in the cultural
war under way in the United States since the end of the Cold War.
In the past three decades, a chunk of the American media and academia
has fallen under the control of the modern levelers often known as
wokes. They have turned the "humanities" faculties of many universities,
supposed to be open to diversity as their name indicates, into
caricatures of theological seminaries teaching and preaching one
unquestionable truth presented as the cult of victimhood.
Wokeism has introduced an apartheid system in the name of
double-barrel identities, and real or imaginary past or present
injustices, with the aim of turning the United States into an
archipelago of resentments used as bases for revenge by imaginary
minorities against an imaginary majority.
The year ends with the US economy strong, unemployment figures down,
inflation under control, and reshoring of industries back home under
way.
In sum: so far, so good! The application of Bob Wilson's theory of
the theater as a "happening" to politics has been refreshing to say the
least, with words and deeds pulling the stagecoach together.
Yet, as the first year ends, a word of warning may be in order. Using
a wrecking ball to pull down a derelict structure is one thing, but
replacing it with something more solid is another. Opening numerous
building sites at the same time without sequencing completion may turn
out to be as tough as riding several horses at the same time.
Then there is always the possibility of ending up as Dr. Gulliver
pinned down by Lilliputians. This is why the good doctor needed the
goodwill of at least some of those tiny islanders.
Trump would also do well to remember Shakespeare's line, "Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide."
The half-forgotten tiff with Elon Musk was an early warning.
Now we have Vice President J.D. Vance second-guessing his boss on how to deal with the "Iran problem".
Vance may not be recasting himself as the hero of Alfred de Musset's
play "Lorenzaccio" to grab power immediately. But with a view to a
putative presidential run, he is certainly seeking to curry favor with
the MAGA core of Trump's constituency.
The attempt to replace Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in the
final year of his term while he is under criminal investigation may also
develop into a bigger showdown with the American ruling establishment
still licking its wounds after Trump's return to the White House.
Yet, Trump the quintessential optimist's message remains: The best is yet to come!
We shall see.
Gatestone Institute would like to thank the author for his kind
permission to reprint this article in slightly different form from Asharq Al-Awsat. He graciously serves as Chairman of Gatestone Europe.
Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan
in Iran from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable
publications, published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987.
Officials say it is likely that Walz and Frey would get grand jury subpoenas soon in an investigation that is looking at obstruction, as well as whether Walz turned a blind eye to a massive fraud scheme in his state.
The Justice Department on Friday
opened an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis
Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, for allegedly obstructing law
enforcement activities, U.S. officials confirmed to Just The News.
The officials said it was likely that Walz and Frey would get grand
jury subpoenas soon in an investigation that is looking at obstruction,
as well as whether Walz turned a blind eye to a massive fraud scheme in
his state.
The Justice Department has not publicly commented on the
investigation so far, but it comes after Deputy Attorney General Todd
Blanche warned both men that he was "focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also accused the pair of perpetuating violence directed at federal officers.
Walz responded to the federal investigation Friday night, claiming the probe was an "authoritarian tactic."
"Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an
authoritarian tactic," Walz said on X. "The only person not being
investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who
shot her."
Frey accused the department of trying to intimidate him over his
support for the city, including local law enforcement officers and
residents who were protesting federal immigration operations.
I will not be intimidated," Frey insisted on X. "My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe."
The comments come as tensions in Minnesota increase over recent
shootings involving federal immigration officers. One ICE agent fatally
shot a woman last week who allegedly rammed the agent with her car.
Minnesota officials argue that the shooting was unjustified, while federal officials counter that the agent acted in self-defense.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
“We will not surrender; we will not accept the continuation of attacks in the country without doing anything—there must be a limit to everything,” said Naim Qassem.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem in a televised address, Nov. 20, 2024. Source: Screenshot.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on
Saturday that the Iranian-backed terrorist group will not disarm, that
“the aggression against Lebanon cannot continue” and “we have the right
to defend ourselves.”
His comments, made during a televised
address broadcast on Iranian media, come against the backdrop of
continued Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon
nearly 14 months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and
Lebanon ended more than a year of cross-border fighting.
Israeli troops from the Israel Defense
Forces’ Multi-Dimensional Unit have wrapped up a two-month mission in
Southern Lebanon aimed at preventing Hezbollah from entrenching along
the border. Operating under the 91st Division, the unit gathered
intelligence, located enemy infrastructure and directed fire, helping
ground and air forces dismantle Hezbollah positions and kill or capture
operatives, the military said on Sunday.
The terror leader claimed that Hezbollah’s weapons are intended to defend the Lebanese people.
“We will not surrender; we will not accept
the continuation of attacks in the country without doing anything—there
must be a limit to everything,” said Qassem.
The remarks followed statements by Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, who said in a recent interview with Sky News Arabia that Israel retains the right to strike Lebanon until Hezbollah fully disarms.
Rajji was quoted as saying that “as long
as weapons are not permanently restricted,” Israel “unfortunately has
the right to continue its attacks according to the agreement.”
Qassem criticized Rajji for inciting division among Lebanese citizens and acting contrary to his official duties.
“He is inciting hatred against some of the
Lebanese. He is a foreign minister acting contrary to the directives he
is supposed to fulfill,” said Qassem.
Qassem also echoed recent accusations by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that the United States and Israel orchestrated deadly protests in Iran, arguing that President Donald Trump seeks to undermine the Islamic Republic and control regional resources.
“They are trying to punish the Islamic
Republic and weaken it—all to achieve the goal that Trump and Netanyahu
set for themselves: to destroy the Islamic Republic from within,” said
Qassem.
